Chapter Fifty-Six: The Loyal Felix
Even at night, the grand cathedral bustled with devout believers, soothing hymns echoing through the hall, the choir singing solemnly from the gallery.
Passersby, seeing the middle-aged man in church robes at the entrance, bowed respectfully, their faces adorned with gentle smiles, an air of peace and contentment pervading the atmosphere.
“This… isn’t right, is it?”
Religious was filled with disbelief, his first thought being that he had gotten lost and somehow returned to his former workplace.
However, no matter how he checked his location… he was indeed in the right place, near the dilapidated church in the slums.
Had the city government funded its renovation?
But that seemed unlikely. A cathedral of this scale, second only to Victoria’s most famous one, would require immense resources and manpower, something only the wealthiest districts could afford.
Slocken District was among Victoria’s poorest, with countless problems to address. Where would they find the funds to renovate the slums and build such a grand cathedral?
So… what was going on?
After a long period of hesitation, Religious finally entered the cathedral.
Everything was familiar, so familiar that he could navigate it blindfolded.
He had once been a priest here, a devout follower of the state religion, until he became an Awakened One, witnessing the true nature of the world, realizing the absurdity of his former faith.
After a series of events, he had joined the Harbingers of Calamity.
A flicker of complex emotions crossed Religious’s eyes, quickly suppressed as he walked towards the area where the priests and nuns rested, intending to inquire about the cathedral’s situation.
With his demeanor and attire, no one stopped him, only bowing respectfully as he passed.
At the same time, he contacted Felix, asking about the new location of the Church of Light.
Before his seclusion, Religious had entrusted all matters to Felix, believing him capable of managing all the Harbingers’ churches, but he hadn’t expected such a catastrophic blunder.
Religious’s expression darkened.
“It seems these blind fools are unreliable after all…”
He hoped they hadn’t lost too many churches, even retaining a third would be enough.
Starting from scratch would take time.
His premature emergence from seclusion was due to unforeseen circumstances, and Educator was already displeased. If his own arrangements had also gone awry… Philosopher would surely reprimand him.
His unexpected good fortune might be over, the position of the fourth Authority wielder perhaps taken by another Harbinger…
With a sense of unease, Religious inquired about the priest in charge of this cathedral, quickly making his way to the designated room.
Standing before the door, Religious took a few deep breaths, composing himself, pushing aside his worries, a gentle, benevolent smile appearing on his face, just like when he was a priest.
Now, he truly resembled a fellow clergyman paying a visit.
After three knocks, a familiar voice answered, and he pushed the door open.
“Excuse me, Father… huh?”
Religious’s words were cut short as he saw the priest’s face, his mind racing.
He searched his memories, trying to deny what he saw, but only one conclusion remained.
“Felix…?”
“Indeed, Educator.”
Despite wearing the same robes, Felix still bowed respectfully. “I just received your message and was about to reply, but I didn’t expect you to…”
“What is going on here?”
Religious’s expression turned cold, the atmosphere in the room instantly chilling. His previous warmth vanished, replaced by a menacing aura.
As a high-order Awakened One, his presence was oppressive, and Felix immediately knelt down, his knees trembling.
Felix hesitated for a moment, then felt an invisible force constricting his throat, his face turning red, his eyes bulging.
“Ah… ugh…”
He struggled, but an unseen power held him in place.
“Why… did you betray me?”
Religious stared at the struggling Felix, his killing intent undisguised.
His fingers twitched. A single wrong answer from Felix would be his last.
As a former priest and religious scholar, Religious was well-versed in various religions. Everything within this cathedral was familiar.
The layout, the mass procedures, and most importantly… the statue on the altar, clearly belonging to the Victorian state religion, completely different from his previous instructions.
Religious’s goal was to establish a connection with a Grotesquery through sacrifices, to steal its power or perform other rituals.
The state religion’s deity wasn’t a Grotesquery, what was the point of sacrificing to it?!
If sacrifices to it were effective, the previous churches wouldn’t have struggled so much, their scale limited to a few dozen or a hundred members, requiring multiple locations to barely function.
As a scholar of religion, Religious despised cults, but his own methods couldn’t solve the problems of traditional religious practices, so he had resorted to cults and coercion, quickly establishing sacrificial sites.
The advantage was that it didn’t require promoting faith or proselytizing, only brute force, although Religious disliked such methods.
Seeing Felix as a priest in this grand cathedral, Religious’s first thought was betrayal.
After his departure, Felix had abandoned the cult, converting to the state religion, even attracting official support, building this grand cathedral.
If Religious were still a pure religious scholar, he would have been happy about Felix’s return to the “right path.”
But as “Educator,” he was furious that Felix had betrayed his trust, abandoning the cult for the state religion!
Damn him!
“I… didn’t… betray… Educator…”
Felix managed to choke out the words, but Religious didn’t relent, the pressure intensifying.
Only when Felix was on the verge of suffocation did Religious release him, allowing him to collapse to the floor, gasping for air.
“No betrayal?” Religious sneered. “Then why did you abandon the Church of Light and convert to the Victorian state religion? Which kind-hearted priest led you back to the right path? I’d like to meet him.”
“I… I… didn’t… abandon…”
Felix gasped, struggling to speak. “This… is… the Church of Light’s… main cathedral…”
“You’re lying, Felix. I know the Victorian state religion. You can’t fool me.”
Religious looked down at the trembling Felix coldly. “Do you think you can escape my control? Don’t even think about it… you’re just a dog, expendable.”
Felix, finally catching his breath, bowed deeply again. “Educator… you can check for yourself. I haven’t neglected your instructions…”
“Impossible.”
Religious didn’t believe him, but after a moment of hesitation, he contacted Philosopher mentally.
All the church arrangements were under Philosopher’s direction, including the change in the sacrificial target.
However, Religious didn’t know Philosopher’s motives. Stealing his Authority? Or experiencing the sensation of being a Grotesquery? He had no idea.
Religious contacted Philosopher and, after a respectful inquiry, received an answer that silenced him.
The sacrificial rituals were continuing, uninterrupted, even more stable than before.
Previously, there had been occasional shortages or surpluses of sacrifices. Now, it was consistent, with rituals performed daily.
Philosopher was very satisfied, even praising Religious and expressing his support for Educator’s choice of him as the fourth Authority wielder.
With two out of three leaders supporting him, Religious’s ascension was practically guaranteed.
“Wait…” Religious muttered, looking around in disbelief. “Is this… really my Church of Light?”
“Yes, Educator.”
Felix prostrated himself, trembling, fearing another attack.
Religious’s expression turned strange, then he coughed awkwardly. “That was just a small test, Felix. I knew you wouldn’t betray me. Very good, very good… get up, the floor is cold.”
“I wouldn’t dare, Educator.” Felix remained prostrate, his voice filled with fear. “I would never betray you! I’m just a dog, expendable!”
“Cough, cough…”
Religious coughed even harder, feeling that Felix was mocking him by repeating his words, but his trembling… indicated that he was sincere.
He sighed, helping Felix up. “Don’t be ridiculous, Felix. You’re my most capable subordinate. I wouldn’t let you die.”
With the misunderstanding cleared, Religious was even more pleased with Felix, having achieved his goal through orthodox methods.
Although he didn’t know how Felix had managed it, it was impressive.
Despite abandoning his former faith after witnessing the truth of the world, Religious still held some respect for it.
Completing Philosopher’s task without resorting to Grotesquery worship or cult practices was a remarkable achievement.
Religious even considered helping Felix become an Awakened One after his own ascension.
Methods for forcibly awakening ordinary people existed, even within the Company, though the resources required were significant.
Not for the awakening itself, but for maintaining sanity afterwards. Such resources were rare, and the opportunities limited.
“You flatter me, Educator. I’ve merely done my duty.”
Felix continued respectfully, presenting Religious with a map of the Church of Light’s current territory. “This is the result you instructed me to achieve within three months. Please examine it.”
“Did I… instruct you to do this?”
Religious took the map, searching his memories, his expression changing slightly. “Wasn’t that just a figure of speech? Educator often says that to me…”
He unfolded the map and gasped, staring at Felix, wanting to accuse him of fabricating the data.
But remembering the previous incident, Religious’s expression contorted before he finally spoke.
“This… is your achievement?”
The Church of Light’s territory had expanded several times over, even reaching several prosperous districts, the number of followers far exceeding his expectations. The results achieved in three months surpassed his own three years of effort.
If this were true, Religious would question his own competence.
Felix immediately knelt down again. “I have failed you! Please forgive me!”
“…Is it fake after all?”
Religious thought, then heard Felix continue,
“I know my achievements are insignificant, unworthy of your satisfaction. Please punish me!”
Religious’s lips twitched. If this was considered insignificant, his own previous efforts were practically dust.
However, judging by the current situation, Felix seemed to be telling the truth…
He had underestimated this ordinary person. Despite being blinded by the disordered world, he possessed remarkable talent.
And most importantly, unwavering loyalty, remaining respectful even after the earlier incident, a valuable asset.
Religious was increasingly pleased, his gaze filled with admiration.
However, he was also puzzled. How had Felix achieved what even he couldn’t, maintaining the sacrificial rituals while practicing orthodox faith?
It wasn’t simply a matter of hiding the sacrificial target behind the altar. The believers’ faith had to be focused on the target, even if not entirely.
Philosopher had nothing to do with the state religion’s deity…
Religious reached out, wanting to search Felix’s soul, but hesitated, remembering the earlier awkwardness.
However, Felix’s loyalty had been proven. He could simply ask directly. Felix wouldn’t lie to him.
“Having a trustworthy subordinate is truly a blessing…”
Religious smiled faintly, finally feeling like a leader. He would soon be the Harbingers’ fourth leader, he had to get used to it.
He shouldn’t micromanage, he had to delegate and trust his subordinates… like this time, if it were up to him, he couldn’t have achieved this.
Religious withdrew his hand, placing it behind his back. “Felix, tell me… what has happened to the Church of Light in these past three months?”
He smiled warmly, his gaze filled with trust.
“I want to hear about the remarkable achievements of my most capable subordinate, especially regarding the sacrificial rituals. Tell me everything, in detail.”
“Actually… I deserve no credit,” Felix lowered his head. “It’s all thanks to your teachings, and also…
“Her Holiness, Saint Alyssa.”
“Oh? Tell me more.”
Religious’s interest was piqued.
He knew that the previous “saints” were merely sacrifices, their status insignificant, unworthy of being addressed as “Your Holiness.”
This Saint must be unusual.
Trusting Felix, Religious didn’t suspect any foul play, simply wanting to learn more about this Saint.
“Yes, Educator.”
Felix nodded and began recounting Saint Alyssa’s story.
Mostly information already known throughout Victoria, including how Alyssa became the Saint, her subsequent experiences, and the fact that the Church of Light was essentially a branch of the state religion worshipping her.
In other words, within the Church of Light, Saint Alyssa was the living embodiment of their deity.
Besides that, Felix highlighted the most crucial point: how the sacrificial rituals were maintained, through Saint Alyssa’s naturally powerful “Forbidden Puppet” constitution and her method of transferring faith.
“Hmm…”
Religious gasped, his expression turning thoughtful, then a hint of joy appeared.
From the description, Religious deduced that Saint Alyssa possessed a natural affinity for Grotesqueries, destined to become a Grotesque-side Awakened One, precisely the kind of talent the Harbingers needed.
More importantly… her aptitude might even rival the three Harbinger leaders.
Performing sacrifices for months without fatigue far exceeded the capabilities of an ordinary Forbidden Puppet.
Religious didn’t suspect that Alyssa was already an Awakened One. She had been sacrificed twice before, her injuries still unhealed.
Even a newly awakened Awakened One wouldn’t be sacrificed by ordinary priests, let alone twice.
Awakened Ones had a significant advantage over ordinary people, even those not on the Judgment path. Even a frail little girl could knock out an adult man.
As for transferring faith… Religious had never encountered a Forbidden Puppet being worshipped while simultaneously sacrificing to and worshipping a Grotesquery, so he didn’t understand the specifics.
“The Harbingers lost two leaders in the Jiangcheng County incident, forcing them into hiding, a very passive state, desperately needing new members. And now, such a promising candidate has appeared…”
Religious’s eyes lit up, his voice filled with eagerness.
“My most loyal Felix, quickly take me to this lady… I mean, Her Holiness.”
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